editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.Simon's weekly show, Weekend Edition Saturday, has been called by the Washington Post, "the most literate, witty, moving, and just plain interesting news show on any dial," and by Brett Martin of Time-Out New York "the most eclectic, intelligent two hours of broadcasting on the airwaves." He has won every major award in broadcasting, including the Peabody, the Emmy, the Columbia-DuPont, the Ohio State Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, and the Sidney Hillman Award. Simon received the Presidential End Hunger Award for his coverage of the Ethiopian civil war and famine, and a special citation from the Peabody Awards for his weekly essays, which were cited as "consistentlyNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Scott SimonSat, 26 Nov 2016 22:04:38 +0000Scott Simonhttp://hppr.org
Scott SimonI always had a wonderful time in Fidel Castro's Cuba, and usually wound up feeling bad about it.The island is beautiful, the people even sunnier: warm and friendly, especially to, Americans. The responsables — government minders — assigned to each reporting crew would tease me about being from Chicago."Your mobsters used to run this place," they'd say. "Sam Giancana, The Godfather. You made our men bellboys and our women prostitutes." And then they'd treat you to mojitos and fabulous music.But the more you could eat or drink, well, you began to understand that the good time a guest could have was not possible for almost any Cuban. Cuban society is strictly demarcated between foreign visitors and Cubans. Visitors can eat good food in plentiful amounts, sleep in comfortable hotels, and spend money. Most Cubans can't.The minders would make sure you met Cubans who spoke of their love and admiration for Fidel, as the man who had made Cuba great by standing up to imperialism. I was impressedSimon: Easy To See Why Some Loved Fidel Castro's Cuba, Many More Fledhttp://hppr.org/post/simon-easy-see-why-some-loved-fidel-castros-cuba-many-more-fled
69652 as http://hppr.orgSat, 26 Nov 2016 14:28:00 +0000Simon: Easy To See Why Some Loved Fidel Castro's Cuba, Many More FledScott SimonI know baseball is not real life.While Chicago's streets teemed with loud whoops and waving banners as the Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years, 18 more people were killed over two days on the south and west sides of the city. The number of homicides in Chicago has surged past 600 this year. 2016 could be the city's deadliest year in nearly 20, and the people in those afflicted neighborhoods, usually a long way from Wrigley Field, will remember this year more for their losses than any World Series victory.And while the Cleveland Indians played valiantly, no victory can do much to roll back the unemployment, crime, and decay that have shrunk their city to about a third of what it was when it last won the World Series in 1948.But a lot of people, including me, still put a lot of blood, toil, tears and sweat into baseball.A great team can lift up a city. People who ordinarily pass each other every day tip the baseball caps that seem to sprout on so many heads. We trade smiles2016 World Series Brought Welcome Levity To Weary Citieshttp://hppr.org/post/2016-world-series-brought-welcome-levity-weary-cities
68818 as http://hppr.orgSat, 05 Nov 2016 13:16:00 +00002016 World Series Brought Welcome Levity To Weary CitiesScott SimonI have a special respect for political losers. Losing can reveal a candidate's character in a humbling, vulnerable moment. An Ohio politician who lost a race for governor once explained to me that most politicians are used to being popular. They were often class officers and top athletes as kids, who become lawyers, professors, or business owners. They get used to people listening to them, and laughing at their jokes. "So when thousands or millions of people who know you by name reject you," the Ohio pol told me, "that's an earthquake. You want to shout, 'Impossible! You know me! I'm popular. There's some mistake!'" Losers don't get inaugural balls or government limos. But they can lose with a grace that honors the decision of the people, even — or especially — after a contentious campaign. Congressman Mo Udall used to tell of an old Arizona pol he said once conceded defeat by saying, "The people have spoken — the bastards." Adlai Stevenson was a little smoother in 1952 when he lostGraceful Losers Triumph, In Spite Of Defeathttp://hppr.org/post/graceful-losers-triumph-spite-defeat
68267 as http://hppr.orgSat, 22 Oct 2016 14:46:00 +0000Graceful Losers Triumph, In Spite Of DefeatScott SimonWhat's in a name?The Chicago White Sox, mired in in the middle of the American League Central division, announced this week they've signed a 13 year deal to rename the park where they play Guaranteed Rate Field.Guaranteed Rate is a home loan company, headquartered in Chicago.But as Rick Morrisey wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "Guaranteed Rate Field. You're kidding, right? Was Year End Clearance Sale Stadium already taken?"Ridicule broke out on social media. I sure joined in. What's next in corporate stadium names? The Viagra Dome? Preparation H Park? Prozac Stadium? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Ex Lax Field!But maybe some of us are being just a little fussy.Most ball parks today bear the name of a company that's paid for it to be displayed there. Those of us who treasure the the lineage of ball park names should remember that Boston's Fenway Park and Chicago's Wrigley Field, those most cherished and unchanging stadiums, began as corporate names more than a century ago.CorporateFear Not, White Sox Fans: You'll Get Used To 'Guaranteed' Fieldhttp://hppr.org/post/fear-not-white-sox-fans-youll-get-used-guaranteed-field
66172 as http://hppr.orgSat, 27 Aug 2016 13:01:00 +0000Fear Not, White Sox Fans: You'll Get Used To 'Guaranteed' FieldScott SimonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Rep. Curry Todd Charged With Campaign Sign Theft; Opponent Mark Lovell Posts Bailhttp://hppr.org/post/rep-curry-todd-charged-campaign-sign-theft-opponent-mark-lovell-posts-bail
65279 as http://hppr.orgSat, 06 Aug 2016 12:50:00 +0000Rep. Curry Todd Charged With Campaign Sign Theft; Opponent Mark Lovell Posts BailScott SimonWhat would you consider "the best selfie ever"?A shot of yourself alongside the pope, the president, Angela Merkel, Lin Manuel Miranda or Steph Curry?This week Ben Innes, a health and safety auditor from Leeds, Great Britain, used those words to send out a photo in which he posed with the man who hijacked his plane.The hijacker has what looks like a suicide vest of explosives strapped to his chest. Ben Innes is grinning."I'm not sure why I did it," Mr. Innes told The Sun. "I just threw caution to the wind while trying to stay cheerful in the face of adversity. I figured if his bomb was real I'd nothing to lose anyway, so I took a chance to get a closer look at it."The bomb was not real. The hijacker who took over EgyptAir MS181 turned out to be a troubled man who wanted to attract the attentions of his ex-wife, and not a terrorist from ISIS, or al-Qaida. He is now in custody. But any person who hijacks an airplane terrorizes people.The hijacking lasted six hours. The plane, bound for'Hijack Selfie' Photo Subject Sought Fame In Dangerous Circumstanceshttp://hppr.org/post/hijack-selfie-photo-subject-sought-fame-dangerous-circumstances
59964 as http://hppr.orgSat, 02 Apr 2016 12:15:00 +0000'Hijack Selfie' Photo Subject Sought Fame In Dangerous CircumstancesScott SimonCopyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Soldiers must face many dangers - exhaustion, battle, loneliness and MREs.MREs are the vacuum-packed food that soldiers eat on deployment. The initials mean meals ready to eat, but over the years, soldiers have developed many alternative explanations, including meals refused by everyone, meals rejected by the enemy and lots of other permutations best left for conversations in a bunker.I've eaten lot of MREs while war reporting. Most people don't join the Army and expect to be fed by Nigella Lawson. U.S. Army dietitians really seem to do their best to provide for a range of tastes, from standard American comfort food to Latin American and Asian specialties. But soldiers always wind up comparing the beef stew to dog food and the meatballs with marinara sauce to something the dog left behind.Now the U.S. Army is asking for volunteers to eat MREs and nothing but, for three weeks. They want to see what an unrelenting diet does to aArmy Seeks Brave And Willing Eaters To Test Its MREshttp://hppr.org/post/army-seeks-brave-and-willing-eaters-test-its-mres
56236 as http://hppr.orgSat, 02 Jan 2016 12:54:00 +0000Army Seeks Brave And Willing Eaters To Test Its MREsScott SimonFrank Sinatra was born a hundred years ago today. Even if you think his music just isn't your music, it's hard to get through life without uttering what I'll call a "Frank Phrase" from one of his songs at telling times in our lives."So set 'em up, Joe ... Fly me to the moon ... I've got you under my skin ... My kind of town ... I did it my way ... I want to wake up in a city that doesn't sleep ..." And that wry elegy for lost loves and lonely nights: "So make it one for my baby, and one more for the road."Sinatra called himself a saloon singer. He ran with mobsters and could be a bully; he coveted other men's wives and could be brutish to his own, and other women and men.But today, I'd like to recall a moment when Frank Sinatra was truly magnificent. Not in Las Vegas or New York, New York, but Gary, Indiana.November, 1945. A lot of white students had walked out of Gary's Froebel High School when it opened up to black students.A citizens' group asked Frank Sinatra to come to their'One More' For Sinatra, Who Took A Stand In Gary, Indianahttp://hppr.org/post/one-more-sinatra-who-took-stand-gary-indiana
55474 as http://hppr.orgSat, 12 Dec 2015 13:04:00 +0000'One More' For Sinatra, Who Took A Stand In Gary, IndianaScott SimonJonathan Pollard is out of prison, if not totally free, after 30 years. He's on parole for another five years, during which he'll have to wear a GPS ankle bracelet, won't be able to give interviews, or leave for Israel, where he is considered a hero, and says he wants to live.He also won't be able to use the internet without U.S. government scrutiny. Someone will point out: can any of us?To see the images last night of a pale, pudgy man with long white hair and a beard walking in and out of a New York courthouse might remind us that real spycraft rarely involves Aston-Martins and martinis.In 1986, Jonathan Pollard and Anne Henderson Pollard, who was then his wife, thought they had a deal. Jonathan Pollard, who had been a Naval intelligence analyst, cooperated with the FBI and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to give national security information to a foreign government: Israel, an ally.Federal prosecutors called for a "substantial" prison sentence, but not life. There wasThe Long Saga Of Spy Jonathan Pollard Continues Even After His Releasehttp://hppr.org/post/long-saga-spy-jonathan-pollard-continues-even-after-his-release
54632 as http://hppr.orgSat, 21 Nov 2015 14:09:00 +0000The Long Saga Of Spy Jonathan Pollard Continues Even After His ReleaseScott SimonCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: We've been reporting this morning that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the terror attacks that have struck Paris last night. The Paris prosecutor Francois Molins spoke to reporters just a few moments ago. NPR's Peter Kenyon is in Paris, where he's monitoring events. Peter, thanks so much for being with us.PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Hi, Scott.SIMON: And the prosecutor gave a timeline of events as they've been able to put it together. To recap much of what happened last night, what did we hear? What did you notice?KENYON: Well, the main point of this was to reinforce the notion that these attacks - these terrible attacks - were a very well-coordinated effort. The prosecutor cited the identical weapons, Kalashnikovs; identical explosive belts being worn by many of the attackers and a couple of black cars that would pull up at a restaurant or at a concert scene and, all of a sudden, the carnage would begin.And in several of the sitesFrench Prosecutor Lays Out What Investigators Know About Paris Attackshttp://hppr.org/post/french-prosecutor-lays-out-what-investigators-know-about-paris-attacks
54327 as http://hppr.orgSat, 14 Nov 2015 18:48:00 +0000French Prosecutor Lays Out What Investigators Know About Paris AttacksScott SimonCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: We're following to news from France today after a night of devastating violence in Paris. Coordinated attacks killed more than 120 people in six separate attacks, leaving the city really and on edge. A Parisian man spoke with France 24 today.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Through interpreter) I've never seen the city like this. It's scary. Everyone is worried. No one is looking at each other.SIMON: NPR will continue to update you on events in France as the investigation develops. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.'I Have Never Seen The City Like This'http://hppr.org/post/i-have-never-seen-city
54319 as http://hppr.orgSat, 14 Nov 2015 14:46:00 +0000'I Have Never Seen The City Like This'Scott SimonCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: We want to go now to - want to go now to NPR's Michele Kelemen because the terrorist attacks in Paris have added urgency to a gathering there in Vienna where Secretary of State Kerry has been meeting with colleagues on Syria. He and the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, stood together today in support of France.Well, we don't have that tape but - they - Secretary Kerry said that - referred to it as a vile, horrendous, outrageous, unacceptable acts. Michele, you're with us from Vienna. Thanks very much for being with us.MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Nice to be here.SIMON: And the French foreign minister of course was there. What did he say about the attacks?KELEMEN: That's right. It was in between the meetings that Laurent Fabius spoke to us briefly and he said these talks have really taken on a new meaning. One of the objectives now, he says, is to see how concretely countries can coordinate better in the fight against ISIS.Paris Attacks Lend Urgency To Diplomatic Talks In Viennahttp://hppr.org/post/paris-attacks-lend-urgency-diplomatic-talks-vienna
54308 as http://hppr.orgSat, 14 Nov 2015 14:15:00 +0000Paris Attacks Lend Urgency To Diplomatic Talks In ViennaScott SimonCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: We're following the news in France today, as Parisians awoke to terror and mourning for the second time this year. Here's what we know - more than 120 people were killed last night, many more were injured in six attacks across Paris. The number of people critically wounded is at almost 100, according to French officials. ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, has claimed responsibility for this devastating attack. And this morning, President Francois Hollande blamed the group in an address to his country.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)FRANCOIS HOLLANDE: (Through interpreter) Faced with war, the country has to take appropriate steps. It's an act of war committed by a terrorist army, Daesh, an Islamist army, against France, against the values we uphold throughout the world, against who we are, a free country that speaks to the whole planet. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.The Latest On The Paris Terror Attacks, As Of Saturday Morninghttp://hppr.org/post/latest-paris-terror-attacks-saturday-morning
54310 as http://hppr.orgSat, 14 Nov 2015 14:09:00 +0000The Latest On The Paris Terror Attacks, As Of Saturday MorningScott SimonCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: We'll return now to the events in Paris and yesterday's bomb and gun attacks that killed at least 120 people. Last night, President Hollande declared a state of emergency. He mobilized the army to support the police and ordered restrictions imposed on French borders. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson has just crossed the French border with Germany and she's now in Paris. Soraya, thanks for being with us. And what was it like to get to Paris today?SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: It was amazingly easy considering what has been going on. I mean, it - I got on the train - the TGV, the high speed train from Munich, which went directly to Paris. And the only security that I saw was basically at the German side of the French border, where two stern-looking police officers got on board and basically were checking everyone out to make sure there weren't any suspicious-looking characters. But there were no passport checks. And once I passedIn Aftermath Of Paris Attacks, France Ramps Up Border Restrictionshttp://hppr.org/post/aftermath-paris-attacks-france-ramps-border-restrictions
54311 as http://hppr.orgSat, 14 Nov 2015 14:04:00 +0000In Aftermath Of Paris Attacks, France Ramps Up Border RestrictionsScott SimonCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: The attacks overnight in Paris represent a shift in the way counterterrorism officials see ISIS. There have been a handful of attacks around the world that have been attributed to the group - shootings at a museum in Belgium, stabbings of police and military. This is different. NPR's counterterrorism correspondent Dina Temple-Raston joins us in our studios. Dina, thanks so much for being with us.DINA TEMPLE-RASTON, BYLINE: You're welcome.SIMON: Story's still unfolding, we understand. What are you hearing?TEMPLE-RASTON: Well, the evidence is that the Islamic State is behind this. In addition to French President Francois Hollande saying that the attacks were the work of ISIS, the group itself claimed responsibility in an online statement a short time ago. And they say the attacks were a response to French airstrikes in Syria and that France would remain, in their words, a top target as long as it continued its current policiesISIS Claims Responsibility For Paris Killingshttp://hppr.org/post/isis-claims-responsibility-paris-killings
54314 as http://hppr.orgSat, 14 Nov 2015 14:04:00 +0000ISIS Claims Responsibility For Paris KillingsScott SimonCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: And part of what makes life go on is the love of sports. Our Tom Goldman joins us on a sad morning. Good morning, Tom.TOM GOLDMAN, BYLINE: Hi, Scott.SIMON: The stadium in France, where France and Germany were playing a friendly football match last night, as they're called, was one of the places struck. Fans were frightened but they also gave us a moment of grace.(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Singing in French).GOLDMAN: That's, Scott, soccer fans exiting the stadium, singing the French national anthem. As you say, a moment of grace to recognize a very traumatic night.SIMON: Tom, wouldn't anyone in sports today have to wonder - I don't mind saying worry - you know, if soccer, basketball, tennis, hockey, even chess fans watching a big match have now become targets?GOLDMAN: Well, they certainly do wonder. You know, while nothing happened inside the stadium last night, the fact that the attacks were nearbyIn A Night Of Terror, A Moment Of Grace On The Soccer Pitchhttp://hppr.org/post/night-terror-moment-grace-soccer-pitch
54315 as http://hppr.orgSat, 14 Nov 2015 14:04:00 +0000In A Night Of Terror, A Moment Of Grace On The Soccer PitchScott SimonCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. The people of France are in shock and mourning today after a devastating night in Paris. A series of gun and bomb attacks killed more than a hundred people and injured scores. Authorities believe that eight people staged the attacks and they are all reportedly dead. But authorities are still searching for accomplices. The so-called Islamic State, or ISIS, has claimed responsibility. President Hollande has described the events as an act of war. The attacks were on a restaurant, bars and just outside the national sports stadium. The worst casualties were at a concert hall in downtown Paris where hundreds of young people were raked with gunfire. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley is at that venue and joins us. Eleanor, thanks for being with us.ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: Good morning, Scott.SIMON: What's the scene there today?BEARDSLEY: Well, the scene today is that the police haveAssessing The Devastation, On The Day After The Paris Massacreshttp://hppr.org/post/assessing-devastation-day-after-paris-massacres
54317 as http://hppr.orgSat, 14 Nov 2015 14:04:00 +0000Assessing The Devastation, On The Day After The Paris MassacresScott SimonJimmy Carter told a press conference he called on the morning of the day he would have the first radiation treatment on the cancer in his brain, "I'd like for the last guinea worm to die before I do."Mr. Carter was frank, funny and graceful speaking this week about his health, and his faith. But his remark about the guinea worm may have puzzled a few people.Guinea worm disease is a parasitic infection that people can get by drinking stagnant water that teems with tiny guinea worm larvae. The larvae can grow into three-feet long worms that eventually burst through the skin, causing great, paralyzing pain.I saw this a few times in Ethiopia; they can look like small serpents consuming a human being.The disease doesn't kill people, like AIDS or Ebola, but it makes life excruciating for children and adults, keeping from them school or work, making it difficult to eat or sleep.Jimmy Carter heard about the problem in the mid-1980s from a U.N. official he knew, who said he couldn't find anyJimmy Carter Remains Stalwart In Vow To Eradicate Guinea Wormhttp://hppr.org/post/jimmy-carter-remains-stalwart-vow-eradicate-guinea-worm
50834 as http://hppr.orgSat, 22 Aug 2015 11:53:00 +0000Jimmy Carter Remains Stalwart In Vow To Eradicate Guinea WormScott SimonCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: A horse is a horse, unless, of course, it's blue. Queen Elizabeth was on a state visit to Germany this week, and President Joachim Gauck presented her with a painting called "Horse In Royal Blue" by a popular German artist, Nicole Leidenfrost. It shows her majesty as a little girl sitting on a horse, the reins being held by her father, King George. The painting is interpretive. The faces of the horse and humans are indistinct, and the horse is a shade of blue. Her Majesty rather sniffed - strange color for a horse. By the way, she doesn't really sound all that much like Helen Mirren. Prince Philip asked the queen if she recognized her father. Her majesty said no, emphatically, but the painting did not become an international incident. President Gauck also gave the queen a box of marzipan. Perhaps Prince Philip said leave the painting; take the marzipan. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.Queen Elizabeth, The Art Critichttp://hppr.org/post/queen-elizabeth-art-critic
48587 as http://hppr.orgSat, 27 Jun 2015 12:11:00 +0000Queen Elizabeth, The Art CriticScott SimonCopyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: One more British monarch may have been discovered in a parking lot. Just three years after the discovery of the remains of King Richard III, researchers have turned their attention to another even older missing ruler - Henry I. Philippa Langley, the historian who led the search for Richard's remains, believes the ruins of Reading Abbey - which Henry founded in 1121 - may be beneath the school playground and parking lot. They hope to find Henry's tomb below. Now, Henry I played the 12th century "Game Of Thrones" with a good deal of savagery, and like Richard, he earned what political consultants now call a mixed reputation. Who knows what secrets might be exhumed if the body is found? Historians say that what finally killed Henry wasn't a human enemy but a surfeit of lampreys, the parasitic eel once considered a delicacy. Either way, when you park a car in Great Britain, take a moment to ponder which monarch might lie beneathHistorian May Have Discovered Henry I's Final Resting Placehttp://hppr.org/post/historian-may-have-discovered-henry-final-resting-place
47163 as http://hppr.orgSat, 23 May 2015 11:56:00 +0000Historian May Have Discovered Henry I's Final Resting Place